Bibouroku
by FoxFlame
Summary: Based on The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks Kagome, now Lady of the East, and Sesshoumaru, Lord of the West, weave a story, the kind of story that can fill pages and pages in a book...SESSKAG
1. Prologue: And So It Began…

Bibouroku

Written By: Foxflame

Based on The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

Fox- Hello fan fiction readers! I am beginning a new story, though I am completely aware of the fact I am in no position to maintain it- what with my life being one big disaster and all- but I was hit with an idea, and for once I am going with it! I shall not lay down and die! Life is to short my chums….

Innyubabe4e- Ok enough with the lecture on life- continue with your disclaimers and such

Fox- Yes, you are right….now where was I before I rudely interrupted myself…oh yeah- this story is a Sess/Kag fiction- so for all you haters out there leave now or forever hold your peace.

Next, I am disclaiming all rights to the excellent piece of work written by Nicholas Sparks, whose story "The Notebook" I am basing this fiction off of. Thanks a bunch Nicky- your love story has inspired me.

So, please no flames saying I have simply taken the ideas of this man- I am just a writer who was inspired .

The title of my story is the closest Japanese translation I could get to" The Notebook"-

"Bibouroku"- (n) notebook, memorandum

_

* * *

_

_Wisdom is knowing what to do with what you know._

**J. Winter Smith**

Prologue: And So It Began…

"I don't think today is a good day. She seems more quite than usual" The demon narrowed his golden eyes and observed the aged bear before him. It was often said that his efforts were futile, and those who were around him felt he was wasting his time.

The trusted servant before him, however, tried as best he could to be gentle on the subject and voice some reason- but he would not waver in his position.

The old youkai held his head up high under the piercing gaze- he was quite used to the silent glares, and he has learned to stand strong against them. Though his forward actions might seem treacherous, he spoke his mind on the matter.

"Perhaps tomorrow is a better time. It will give her a mind a period of ease"

"No, today is good."

He wouldn't voice it out loud, but today he had a feeling- a good feeling- as though a miracle was about to happen.

The servant sighed. He never gives up.'

"If you say so" He slid open the door and stood aside to allow the other entrance into the room.

The old bear walk across the room, making more noise then necessary to make sure the woman before him was well aware of his presence, and there for not be alarmed at the sudden intrusion.

A feeble old paw went and rubbed the shoulder of said woman in the chair by the window. Brown eyes met as the lady turned her gaze away from the window and looked upwards at her nurse.

"Good morning Tooru-san"

"I pray my Lady has had a good nights rest?"

A small giggle came from the being before him, as the woman nodded and smiled "Yes, I feel very well"

"That's excellent, because I have a treat for you"

Her large brown eyes lit up and her body turned to face him more directly. "Oh please Tooru-san! What is it!"

The bear giggled at the child like spirit she seemed to have never lost, and turned towards the door. "This is my dear friend, and he has come to see you today. He is the one who contains the surprise"

She bounced up from her chair and her eyes fell upon the tall, handsome figure at the door. This strange man- whose ears were pointed and those hands were clawed- did not make any gesture towards her. She smiled a toothy grin, her eyes speaking the words her mouth could not.

He sure is lovely. Why is he not coming in?'

His shining hair and armor captivated her gaze for a long moment, until she suddenly remembered her manners and greeted the stranger. "Hello" she called to him, and he simply gazed upon her.

She is still beautiful…' he thought, as he crossed over the threshold and walked towards the window. "Hello" he replied in a low, deep voice.

They were all silent for a moment, until the middle aged woman cried "So! Where is this surprise I was promised?"

Silence befell the room again, as the demon refused to speak. The old nurse, however, found a way to break the silence.

"I shall leave you two alone for the day. I have many things that need attending"

"Are you sure Tooru-san? You may enjoy the surprise as well" Tooru looked at the still youthful face of the woman, whose dark ebony locks were perfect despite the one streak of grey; a sign of age, though she was still young. He saw her slightly worn hands fiddle with her shawl, a sure sign she was nervous- it was a habit she was unable to break even in her mature age of 37.

The servant looked at the other demon in the room, and understood completely what he had to do.

"Afraid not dear, but please do not let my absence hinder your fun."

Tooru gave the demon one final, meaningful look, before he turned and left them to be alone.

The demon waited until the old bear had disappeared down the hall until he turned to face the woman.

He withdrew a small silk bag and sat down on the window sill, implying with his hands for the woman to return to her seat.

"I was hoping to read you a story…" His smooth voice carried out through the room, rebounding upon the walls.

"What kind of story is it?" The woman seemed simply delighted at having a guest, and even more excited about the prospect of a good book being read to her. She was always one to love being carried away on the wings of a story.

"It is a tale of love, a tale of adventure. A story in which two people overcome all that was around them to be together"

"It sounds wonderful. Please, do not keep me in suspense." She wrapped her shawl tightly around her shoulders, and sat slightly on the edge of her seat, impatiently waiting for this handsome fellow to begin.

He looked into her eyes…hoping, wishing…. No…not yet' his mind chided to him I must get through this first'

He smiled at her warmly- a smile so few have ever seen- and nodded his reply. "Of course. Who am I to keep such a lovely lady waiting?"

The woman blushed slightly.

He withdrew from the silk bag a worn out book, whose cover was faded and its pages worn from its time of use, and opened to the title page. His eyes read over the text inside for a brief moment, and then turned to the beginning of the 1st chapter.

"This tale begins in a time such as the one we live in now. Where the land was owned by Taiyoukais and the humans were the lower class. It was a time of feudal wars, and Japan was separated into 4 regions- The Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western lands.

"Time went on with the traditional feudal system, until a great evil which was plaguing the land was finally defeated one day by a very unlikely group of travelers, who consisted of a half demon, a demon slayer, a monk, and a miko who was sent from the future…"

"Were these travelers great warriors?" The demon stopped in mid sentence and looked at the woman who so rudely interrupted his tale. He ignored the rudeness, however, and answered her question.

"In a sense, they were. But they were greater friends than anything else"

The lady smiled, and said "Well friendship is very important. I bet they would not have been able to defeat that evil without one another"

"No, I bet they wouldn't have" He looked at her, and once more got lost in her large brown eyes- those eyes which have yet to age, which have yet to loose their innocence and beauty.

"Well, continue…."

The demon shook his head and turned back to the book before him.

"The people of Japan got word of the mighty heroes who defeated the evil that was a half demon named Naraku. With him gone, many hard chapters in people's lives ended, and a time of prosperity began.

"For the group of travelers, things could not have been better. The demon slayer, whose brother was being controlled by Naraku, was able to finally lay him to rest. The monk was able to live without the fear of his own hand swallowing him up into a vortex of darkness.

"And the half demon was granted his wish of mortality, so he could live with his revived love. All this was attainable with the death of Naraku, but also with the purification of a jewel.

"The Shikon- no- Tama was a powerful jewel, which could cause great destruction, or great miracles to occur. It all depended on the wish the owner asked of it.

"The fates were lucky to have the miko of the group, Kagome, be the one to ask a wish upon the jewel. She was a beautiful person, in body and soul, and in her youth only loved one man. But since he was already in love with another, there was nothing left for this poor teenager to do, but to wish for happiness of her beloved half demon.

"With that selfless wish, came the jewels purification.

"Now legend had stated that when a selfless wish was granted by the Shikon-no- Tama, the jewel would disappear from the world forever, so there would never be another chance for its evil to rein over the world. However, the jewel did not disappear. It stayed on the earth, and it still held some power which drew many demons after it.

"No one was sure why this was so, but all knew one thing- that destiny was not finished with it yet.

"Though it was a time of joy, for Naraku had died, it was the beginning of a hard life for this young miko, who had to stay behind in a time period which was not her own to be its guardian.

"She was forced to bid her family in the future goodbye, and never return to see them.

"Her friends got on with their lives, by starting a new demon slaying village and beginning their families.

"She, however, was given this great responsibility, and found that she did not want to burden her friends with it. So Kagome left them to begin anew somewhere else

"Meanwhile, the Eastern Lands were going under some great changes, for its Lord had lost all his power. The throne was open to anyone, and many demons fought for the glorious position. However, the war was ended once Kagome happened upon the throne.

"It just so happened that Kagome, aimlessly looking for a new place to call home in the feudal era, was in the Eastern lands as an all out war between two princes began. The bear youkai, who ruled the forest, was battling the bird youkai who ruled the mountains.

"This was to be the final battle, to see which of the princes would become the new Lord of the Eastern Lands. However, they chose a very inconvenient area for their battle.

"A small human village, which had been housing the wandering Kagome for over a week, was in the line of fire. Kagome, not hesitating, ceased the battle with a large purification spell, and saved the village. The people were thankful, and quickly began to spread the word of the miko who saved them all, and who defeated the last of the suitors for the throne.

"Without realizing it, she had become the Lady of the East.

"Many demons disliked the new human Lady, but respected her and her power. Kagome was left to rule her lands, and the easy and calm life style returned to the feuding East.

"She was an excellent and caring ruler, but was forever plagued by the sacred jewel which she wore around her neck. No good can come from this' She often said, and tried in vain to find a way to rid the world of it once and for all.

"As 5 years past, it seemed all was lost, and the jewel would have to remain on earth, forever plaguing those who would seek it. But one night, in a dream, Kagome was visited by the woman who created the jewel from her own body.

"She told Kagome how to finally get rid of the jewel. She explained how she could set herself, and all those enslaved by it, free.

"She woke up that next morning and knew what she had to do, to finally end the horrific power of the sacred jewel. And so it began….."

* * *

Foxflame- Prologue completed! It has been so long since I have written anything- my life has left no room for it any more. I hope you all are enjoying it so far- more to come of course.

Reviews are greatly appreciated. Any feedback would be wonderful for my ego

Fox- Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter One

Bibouroku

Written By: Foxflame

Based on The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

Fox- Here we are again! With the first chapter to truly begin our story!

Innyubabe4e- I hope you are as excited as we are!

Fox- Yes, let us, how do you say, PAR-TAY

Innyubabe4e – WOOHOO

Fox- Ok enough lol. I found it slightly difficult to write the prologue, having to give the necessary background information without going into to much detail.

I hope you all liked it!

Now that we all know where we stand, we can begin!

Disclaimer- I do not own Inuyasha or any related characters.

_How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.  
_**--Henry David Thoreau**

* * *

Chapter 1:

The soft pounding of feet rebounded through the halls of the Western Palace, as an old servant made haste towards his Lord's study. Taking turns left and right, the old demon hurried as fast as his old bones would allow, delivering an item he received only moments before.

Clutched in his old paw was a beautifully decorated piece of parchment, tied together with a golden bow and the crest of the Eastern Lady, a rising sun. 'What could this be?' the old one wondered.

Left, right, left…..

' I hope milord is in a better mood today…who knows what terrible news this can contain' He passed a fellow servant of the Western Palace, nodded his head, but dare not stop his quick pace.

Right turn, left turn….

A small thud on his study door, which could not be mistaken for anything other then a plea for entrance, was made. Sesshoumaru looked up from his desk, and allowed the demon on the other side entrance into his quite room.

The demon bowed low enough for his nose to skim the floor, until the Taiyoukai spoke "Yes, Tooru"

"Milord has been sent a parcel from the House of the Rising Sun" The bear held out the lovely wrapped parchment to his master, waiting for bated breath until he would accept it. But he did not.

"Throw it away. I have no use for anything given to me from that house."

The old demon looked shocked. 'Why would he refuse such a letter? Perhaps he simply does not want to associate with a human? My lord should be wiser than that…'

"B-but…my Lord, it may hold some importance. What harm can come from a simple letter?"

The demon Lord stopped his writings to look up at the servant for the first time since he entered, and said "Many things can be inside that letter. Why I would choose to open it or leave it closed is my business"

"Of course it is, my lord. But I fear this might be of some use to you."

Sesshoumaru was getting agitated. 'Why is it so hard to find servants who listen?' He began to rub his temple, sure that a headache was about to come along.

"Leave it here"

The bear nodded, placed the parcel in the table top, and turned away, sighing inwardly that his impudence did not cost him his life. 'I better not bother him more then need be…'

'A letter from Inuyasha's wench. What could it possibly contain? Not that I care about what this woman would have to say to me'

The Taiyoukai looked away from the letter sitting on his desk, and return to his previous work. He re read the lines, but soaked up none of it.

'It may contain something that will cause me work- am I willing to even bother?''

Observing his desk littered with problems of his own lands, Sesshoumaru came to the conclusion that any other issue that was not his own concern, was of no importance.

'But, what if it is in my best interest to hear what the miko has to say?'

He was his own worst critic. 'Here I go again…arguing with myself….'

Frustrated, he flung the letter onto the floor, hoping that if he got it out of his line of vision; he would be able to concentrate on his own work.

'Where was I… demons raiding the human villages towards the Northern border, many killed, all pleading for some assistance…..maybe I should just read the letter…'

He growled and crumbled the paper in his fists. 'I lost a battle with myself that lasted no more than 2 minutes. Damned curiosity'

The demon Lord walked around to the front of his desk, and picked up the parcel and began to read:

_To the head of House of the Moon-_

_You have been cordially invited to attend a formal ball at dusk tomorrow. Please bring along as many guests as you wish- however, the attendance of Lord Sesshoumaru is highly anticipated._

_The Lady of the East wishes to discuss matters of high importance with the Lord. She wishes to inform the Lord that it would benefit them both and-……._

Sesshoumaru stopped reading there. The rest of the letter was simply formal nonsense which did not need his attention.

'A formal ball?'

An answer came to his mind at once "No"

His reason, however, began to call to him. 'Perhaps it may be important…what would happen if I did not attend?'

Many thoughts plagued his mind on the matter. As he saw it, he had two options- one, attend the ball himself, and make a personal appearance to discover the reason of his requested attendance, or two…..

* * *

"You shall be attending a formal ball tomorrow evening, held by the Lady of the East. You are to speak only to the Lady, to discover what news she has that contains my interest."

The Lord looked upon his advisors, as their eyes widened in disbelief of what their ears were hearing. Attend a ball? Talk to a human ruler? Sesshoumaru-sama is interested?...

"If we be as so bold to ask, as to why are you not attending a ball clearly held for you?"

The Badger youkai gazed upon the sturdy form of his Lord, waiting for an answer. He had been Sesshoumaru's advisor since day one on the throne, helping him in matters containing other Lords and political officials.

"That is too bold." Sesshoumaru said, eyes looking off into the distance, as he fiddled with some papers on the table.

"Of course, my Lord. We shall do as you wish" The room was filled with the scratching of chairs as the three advisors left the room to return to their duties- whatever they may be.

Sesshoumaru watched with tired eyes as they retreated into the hall, and let out a breath he did not know he was holding. He slouched down into his chair, and got lost in his thoughts.

'Did I choose correctly? Or should I attend this ball myself?'

_Ha_ spoke his inner self _The mighty Lord Sesshoumaru is second guessing himself? Does he truly wish to go to this ball and quench his thirst of curiosity?_

'No- I do not want the headache of formal arrangements'

_Is that all, Sesshoumaru?_ _Cant be bothered to get up out of your chair and live a little?_

"Lord Sesshoumaru!"

Golden eyes snapped up at the sound of a high pitched voice called out his name.

A young human teenager walked into the room, looking excited about something. Sesshoumaru did not bother to wonder what, because he could tell he was about to find out.

"May I go! Oh please Lord Sesshoumaru, I haven't gone out of this castle in such a long time!"

"Rin…what are you talking about?"

The girl in front of him flicked her hair with an air of impatience over her broad shoulders.

"The ball! I found the invitation placed on a table, and couldn't help but read it. Oh Lord Sesshoumaru it would be wonderful to go and meet some other people. May I please go with you?" The girl widened her brown eyes, in hopes the look of sadness would yield to that special place he held for her in his heart.

However, the Lord looked upon the girl in a different light. He saw a misbehaved, nosy child. He saw a teenager who was trying to get out and start fooling around with boys. He saw a girl who was bored, rather then the old child he knew who was so content to be in a field of flowers doing nothing for hours on end. He saw his ward grown up.

His instincts, which he acquired over the years of her raising, called to him. She could not attend this party of foreigners without his attendance to insure her safety.

"If you are referring to the ball in the East, you can simply forget it. Since I will not be attending, you shall not."

The girl looked up at him, slightly scowling at the injustice. "You are not going, my Lord? But why- it is your ball."

"I have reasons of my own" He looked at her, and saw her face beginning to contort into a look of one who was about to begin a verbal war. He missed the days she used to listen to him blindly.

Rin folded her arms across her chest and sighed. 'I never will understand my Lord Sesshoumaru. How can he be so sure of what the ball will be like, is he never gets up and attends one? Why cant I go and have fun?'

"If you do not mind my forwardness, my Lord, might I say that is quite foolish of you"

Sesshoumaru slightly surprised at the correct language- he was still getting used to her educated ways of speaking. He always felt she would speak to him in her old way of talking in the 3rd person.

"Foolish? How"

Rin smiled to herself. Now she had him. As all girls learned over time, a man's ego was his most prized possession. Puncture it in any way, and he is yours.

"You are going to trust your advisors to say the right things to this Lady? What about appearances, my Lord. No one ever sees you outside battle- how can alliances be formed? Perhaps this is an opening for peace between us and the Lands?"

Once again he stood in shock of her increased intelligence of what was going on around her. However taken aback he was, he was very proud.

A long silence passed, in which Rin eyed her Lord, and Sesshoumaru began making his final decision. Eventually, he looked up into her large brown eyes, heaved a sigh, and folded his hands in his lap.

'Damned curiosity'

* * *

"How about this pattern, my Lady?"

A large table cloth with a dark rich color and golden embroidered flowers was held up in the light for Kagome to get a better look at it.

"It is fine, Taki- san. Please place it on the table and begin setting it. We only have a few more hours until our guests begin arriving."

The youkai nodded, smiled, and turned to carry out his orders. Kagome watched him walk away, and began fiddling with her cuticles- a terrible nervous habit she was yet to break even in her grown age of 21.

'I hope he chooses to attend tonight. What if he doesn't? Will all this planning be wasted?'

But deep down Kagome knew it wasn't the party decorations she was worried about. It was the dream- yes the dream she had only 5 days ago.

At first, she was so happy to have finally found a way to destroy the jewel once and for all. As she thought of this, she began to fiddle with the completed piece of stone around her neck.

Yet, as time went on, she began to worry. She knew how to destroy it, yes. But going about it was another matter entirely. As the miko in her dream stated "….you must seek help from the one most equipped, though dangerous and mistrusting he may seem…"

At once Sesshoumaru's face came to her mind. And here Kagome was, planning a ball to slightly engage the Lord from whom she will be pleading for help from. Though she has always held her head high, never groveling and always firm in her position, she was at his mercy and their meeting hasn't even begun.

"My Lady…what about this portrait? Shall it be removed and placed into your room with the others for tonight's festivities?"

Slightly startled, she looked to see another rushing servant, taking down the portraits of the house- it was a very personal thing, to see portraits of loved ones, and the ball to be held that evening was not a place to parade them.

Kagome looked at the portrait in question, and began to think. The smiling faces of Miroku, Sango, Kikyou, Inuyasha, and their children smiled at her. This picture was painted in the new village they erected.

The dark hair Inuyasha now had, since becoming human, slightly ruined Kagome's image of him in her mind- she will always remember him as a half demon.

"Take it, and put it in my personal chambers for the evening."- Kagome did not want to begin her thoughts about the past- too many tears, and tonight was not the time for them.

The servant nodded, and left. For the second time, Kagome watched the youkai leave, and got lost in thought once more.

However, her logic did shine through, and she began to prepare for the evening ahead of her.

* * *

Kagome smiled politely at each guest as they entered, greeting so and so, making small talk, and aimlessly wandering the grand hall which was now packed with guests.

She wore a lovely red and black kimono, with a floral pattern sewn in. Her hair, which was normally down and strait, was pulled high into a curled crown, with some pieces left to curve her face. She was the belle of the ball, though she did not seem to notice, or to care.

All the while, as guests arrived, she scanned the crowd in hopes to see a towering figure in white. Sadly, an hour passed and she had yet to see a large fluffy tail admits the sea of people.

"…And as you can certainly see, the human villagers were wrong to suddenly accuse me of such an act. I was not the father of the child that wench had given birth to- he was not a hanyou. She simply wanted a free ride in her unmarried motherhood…"

Kagome nodded, and let her mind wander as the Prince of the Snake demons began another tale of his twisted love life. She smiled and nodded and was polite as she could be. She had to keep up appearances, and simply cutting of a guy for being a …poor conversationalist….was defiantly not an area she wished to explore.

But then arouse a question she could not smile or nod to "When are we eating, I am starved"

Kagome knew then she had waited to long for Lord Sesshoumaru, and felt highly embarrassed at her bad hosting skills- the guest were probably half starved.

"Yes, how silly of me. We shall begin now"

She turned and headed for her seat at the table, and others followed suit, grateful to begin the feast.

Kagome sighed as she looked out into the faces of the people, and not seeing the most valued guest of the evening. 'I guess I was wrong to hope he would show up…what would my request have meant to him? We have no bonds, no-'

But her thoughts were cut short, as a smear of white appeared in the room just as all the guests found their way into a seat.

The clamor stopped as soon as all found the object their hostess was looking at. The main topic of conversation that evening was the absence of Sesshoumaru, who seemed to skip a ball held for him. But here he was, accompanied by a teenage human and a few advisors.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, how lovely it is to see you. Please, come take a seat"

The seat directly at her right was vacant, but another table was created separately for Sesshoumaru's party. The Lord watched as Rin's eyes lit up at the young men who were seated at her table, and began to feel protective of her once more.

But refusing to show any attachment to her, he turned and began the long, silent walk to the far head of the table. All eyes watched him, as his feet made soft patter sounds on the floor.

He hated having everyone stare at him. Now he remembered why he chose never to attend parties. 'Curse Rin for making me come here…'

Before he knew it, he was in a seat and being served food. He had yet to look fully at Kagome, to pre occupied with his own thoughts and uncomfortable feelings of being in such a public area. Besides, she was deeply immersed in conversation with the youkai on her right…

'I cant believe it….he came. Though he was late, he is here. Great manners for such a high and mighty Lord…'

Once again, Kagome was forced to smile, nod, and listen to the useless chatter being directed to her. More then anything, she wished to begin speaking to the youkai Lord on her right…

'How should I bring this up to him? I cant talk to him openly here….oh stupid, stupid Kagome! Why didn't you plan this out earlier!'

Meanwhile Sesshoumaru was watching Rin chatter happily with many smiling demons and humans. Unknowingly, a small growl formed in his throat as he saw a boy lean over and grasp her hand.

' This Sesshoumaru is getting annoyed. I come to this ball, by force if anything, and have to deal with being ignored by the hostess. She should at least begin to engage me in conversation…what could she possibly want with me…? Damned curiosity…'

The dinner came and went. The plates were cleared off the table, as the room roared with separate conversations. However, only one thing was on Kagome's mind….

'I hope he knows what is expected of us…what if he doesn't know how? Oh god, its starting….'

Suddenly, a slow beat filled the room, and Kagome took the signal to stand and walk to the center of the ball room floor. Her sparkling kimono got the guests attention, as they sat and waited.

Kagome stood in the middle of the room, with her eyes on Sesshoumaru, who seemed completely at ease and still in his chair. Moments passed, and Sesshoumaru began to wonder why the people were glancing his way, murmuring nonsense. 'Why is she staring at me as well?'

Kagome realized the problem. "Lord Sesshoumaru, will you honor the tradition of opening the first dance of the evening with me?"

Sesshoumaru was dumb struck. How could he forget! It was customary for the host and the main guest of the evening to share the opening waltz. Now everything seemed to make sense.

However, he was not about to go dance, with a human none the less, in front of all these people.

Moments of silence passed, ad Kagome began to play with and tare her cuticles. 'Why is he not moving? OH god, what if he doesn't want to…or he chooses to leave because of this position he was put in? If he's anything like Inuyasha, he will leave out of spite….'

A loud scratching sound echoed through the room, as the Lord of the West made his way out of his chair and towards the center of the room.

'Appearances can make or break a Lord' is what Sesshoumaru's father often told him. Whenever, as a child, he was forced to attend parties or gatherings he learned this lesson well. To make one listen and respect you, you must uphold their view of a perfect man- this confuses them, and people from the dawn of time fear what they do not know.

So his participation in this dance, in this ball even, were all a part of him fooling everyone- and he found slight joy in it. He made his way around the table, and looked up into the face of his hostess.

And that's when he saw Kagome, for the first time.

She was standing there in a graceful, yet nerve wracked manner which Sesshoumaru found very intriguing, for lack of a better word. Her eyes, so dark yet so bright, bore into his as they locked. Her figure was beautiful- slender yet curved in all the right places.

Her stance was different to the women he was often around. She stood with an air of superiority- she did not slouch or try to be little herself as most women did around men. She, if anything tried to make herself noticed…

For the first time, he found someone simply breath taking. However, despite her beauty she was a human- Inuyasha's former wench to add to it- and many women were beautiful .She was no different.

Before she knew it, an arm snaked around her waist, and Kagome found herself turning slightly red. The music began again, and their dance started.

Kagome didn't want to say anything, but she was slightly surprised that Sesshoumaru was a terrible dancer. She always thought of him as graceful, flawless, and here he was, dancing like he was born with two left feet.

It was a very stiff position- it seemed as though Sesshoumaru was trying to place as much space between them as possible, and Kagome had no objections. The crowd looked on, as the pair glided across the floor, in time with the music.

The thought made her giggle, and suddenly attract the attention of Sesshoumaru, whose eyes did not stare at her while they danced. He lifted an eyebrow to show his confusion, but his silence showed his lack of interest in the girl's humor.

A heavy silence was held between them, neither wanting to begin. Yet somehow the silence was not a great issue, since Sesshoumaru was lost in though, and so was Kagome. There was, however, a slight difference…

Kagome was a mess. She still had not found a way to ask what she needed from him, but in a way that he would understand. Her eyes looked around the room. 'Oh ya, great idea Kagome. Just look around, something will pop up' The music began to slow down… 'It's not as though her answers would b written on the wall-'

Her thoughts stopped as she spotted exactly what she needed. 'How ironic…'

The music stopped, and they quickly let go of one another. The crowd of people stood and rushed to the dance floor, beginning a dance to another song.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, thank you for coming this evening. Please follow me, and I will make sure you do not feel as though you have wasted your time tonight.'

* * *

Fox- I feel I rushed it a little, many apologies but im tired and releeee want to get this out tonight. I might think of revising it, but for now it think it is ok.

Innyubabe4e- I wish the dance between them meant more…

Fox- I couldn't have them all of a sudden look at eachother, start wondering things, etc. They only danced because it was a tradition and appearances are important…sorry for those who wanted fluff with that…

Innyubabe4e- who cares about the dance! Its now in the past- I want to see what she has come up with!

Fox- sry, my friend, you will have to wait like everyone else .Oh, side note- I know I am basing the story of "The Notebook" but try to understand something- I am not following the story line completely- I am using its ideas and main plot, but adding the Inuyasha storyline to it, so the characters roles and situations will not be the same as the ones in the story, At times, you will recognize scenes which are relevant to the movie/book, and that's as far as it will go. This is not a follow along with the orginal plot but with different people story- it is a Inuyasha fiction, based on a real story- sry for those who thought otherwise.

Read and review 3 thanks


	3. Chapter Two

Bibouroku

Written by: Foxflame

Disclaimers: I do not own anything…this is just ideas and fun pouring out of my head.

Fox: Hello readers. Wow its been almost…a year? Maybe more? Whoa wait over two years. Uh if that's not a late update I don't know what is! Well I was bored one day and realized that perhaps I can take this story off again so here I go! I have the whole story planned out already, I know how it ends, so if inspired I don't see why I wont finish.

-------------

_Any transition serious enough to alter your definition of self will require not just small adjustments in your way of living and thinking but a full-on metamorphosis._

**Martha Beck**,

Chapter 2:

Finally.

Sesshoumaru inwardly sighed relief at the statement the miko made. He wasn't wasting his time after all…well not yet at least. He was not sure where they were going exactly, but it seemed she was leading them out of the loud party, and that was enough. Her figure swayed slightly as she walked, making Sesshoumaru think that she did not feel comfortable in her own shoes.

Which, in fact, she did not.

'Goddamn I hate these shoes. I can barely walk straight. Ouch ouch ouch' though Kagome, as she tried to maintain balance until she reached the garden, where she was leading the youkai Lord. After a few painful minutes, but to Kagome felt like agonizing hours, they passed underneath the stone archway.

Stepping outside, Sesshoumaru felt slight wind blowing through the trees, brining with it the promise of rain. The flowers in the garden were painted with color, even in the moonlight their radiance shown through. And oh, how heavenly the scent was. As a inu youkai, his sense of smell was heightened beyond normal, and he picked up ever trace and odor wafting through the air.

There it was…this intoxicating scent he has never smelled before, but instantly knew he liked. But one look in the garden was enough to confirm it. There were no red roses growing here…

Kagome took a deep breath, and sat down on one of the half crescent stone benches placed in the center of the circular area. Her nervous fingers twitched with the need to be fiddled with, but she fought against it. ' C'mon Kagome, be cool..'

"My lord, you are welcome to sit. I have something I need to talk to you about"

"Yes, I know. All I have heard of, of late, is your need to speak to me. But what about, this Sesshoumaru hasn't the slightest" He remained standing in front of her, golden eyes hard and unmoving.

'Jerk' she thought, and she almost let the smile she promised herself to have tonight falter. " Yes, I am sorry I have kept you waiting. Just give me a second will you? These…shoes…are…death" she pulled off the afflicting appendages while explaining, and not with as much grace as she would have liked. None the less, she got them off , and placed them side by side next to her feet.

Sesshoumaru was confused, for lack of a better word. A Lady, none the less one about to ask his indulgence, partaking in such an act that is most unbecoming in the courts. He, not being one to put much standard by these courts, was unsure how to take it. Personally, if he would allow himself to feel as such, he found it endearing in a way…

"Well I guess your going to just stand there , so I'll start explaining. You, Lord Sesshoumaru, must know about this" Kagome reached into the front of her kimono and slowly pulled up a thin silver chain, with the glowing pink Shikon-no-Tama connected at the end of it.

She looked in his eyes, trying to read his expression at seeing the glowing jewel so close in its completed form. Naturally, she wasn't able to tell if he found it pretty or simply boring.

"I thought, miko, you wished my brother mortality and rid us of that curse"

"I thought so too...but after my wish, it just stayed in my palm, still glowing. This jewel is the cause of so much pain and death. I want…I mean it needs to be destroyed." She fiddled with the small pink ball, looking upon it with a certain fascination.

"All this is very interesting, to say the least, but what do you require of me?" She could tell his patience was wearing thin, and so she carried on.

"I have a proposition for you. The thing is, I found a way to rid the world of the cursed jewel. The only problem is, it requires a very strong demon to do so. You were the first person to come to my mind."

" What exactly do I need to do, if I were to agree?" His eyebrow was raised slightly, interest obviously perked.

"Well the jewel has to go back to where it came from. The thing is, the miko, whose chest this came from, is no longer living, in a sense. I am the protector of the jewel, so I can carry this out." Kagome stood up from the bench and walked past the Lord of the West, to gaze better at the party of guests through the large open doors.

" I need to re-enact the battle that created the jewel, but the result being that the jewel is pushed back into my chest. It will require a very strong demon to cause my miko powers to reach the level that they need too to allow my body to accept the jewel. And here we are…"

Sesshoumaru was very surprised at what he was hearing, but even more surprised at the young miko. She took this reality in such stride, with such conviction and courage that he often thought was non existent in the human race. Oh yes, Sesshoumaru was intrigued.

"What would I get in return for my services?" Kagome looked over at the Lord at this question, a small smile playing at her lips. ' I did not think he would want to help simply because I asked….' She thought.

" I am prepared to offer you, The House of the Rising Sun. After this jewel is gone, I will have no use here ruling over lands, lands I'm not even sure how to rule!" she gave a little nervous laugh, but cut it short at the look of the taiyoukai.

Sesshoumaru's mind was racing…Gaining all of the Eastern territory? Without war or marriage? Could such a blessing be possible? And all he had to do was fight the weak miko, and not even to death. However, working with the jewel causes alarm. One wrong moved and his ass is as pure as a baby's bottom.

"I can see you need time to think this over. There is, however, a little catch…" his eyebrow did its normal arching, urging her to continue "Heh… well, the time to do this is during the next full moon, so that is one month from now. But see…the thing is, I need you to, uh, practice with me. I need to get stronger, and seeing as how we are the ones going to battle, it would be best if you helped and uh…yes.."

He looked down to watch her naked feet fiddle with the floor, an obvious diversion as to not play with her fingers. He smile was a nervous one, and yet so promising. Having to train this miko for the next month? All things considered , the prize is very great for such little cost…

"Uh, well I will let you think it over, and hopefully you can reach a decision at the end of the night" She began to strap up her shoes, with mumbling protest, and kept the white clad lord in the corner of her eye. He remained still, staring at the moon. One month…

"Miko"

She stopped her trudging back to the party, and looked back as the Lord. He was basked in the moonlight in the center of the garden, the waves of silver simply radiating off of him. 'Gosh, hes beautiful'

"Yes, my Lord?"

He walked toward her and stood at her side, not speaking directly to her face, but more so to her ear. "The training will be hard. I do not have mercy for the weak. We will practice under my terms and at the times which I specify. Is that clear?"

"So you'll do it!" she chirped, slightly relieved at the "smoothness" of the deal. "Answer me miko."

"Yes, oh yes of course. And naturally you and your party can stay at the palace, because traveling across the country every morning is not very desirable. Oh and Rin can play with some of the villagers! Im sure she'll…" Kagome began rambling as she always did under nervous situations.

Suddenly, a small drizzle came down from the sky, even though the moon remained out and shining as brightly as ever. Sesshoumaru found himself inhaling once more, a heavenly scent which almost caused him to close his eyes and be carried away…

Rain and roses.

Shaking his head slightly, he decided to cut her off. "Miko. I require a bedroom with windows to the West only"

She stopped her rant mid sentence and confusedly looked over at the harsh request "Uh, sure, why?"

"The sun rises in the east. I hate when the sun wakes me up" And with that, he faded back into the party, leaving Kagome in the garden, laughing to herself.

-----------

"What a jerk"

The demon looked up over the book in his hands, a small smile lingering on his lips. "Yes, he really was at that point in his life"

"I mean, c'mon, all she wanted was some help to get rid of something that hurt not jus her, but everyone. What a selfish jerk. I would have given him a room facing the east, just to see his reaction." The girl smiled, playing out the scene in her minds eye.

The demon smiled, letting a fang hang over his lower lip as he did when he was truly smiling. "Oh! How cute that is!" the girl cried, and reached over to gently rub her finger over the pearly white curve, completely ignoring the fact that it was quiet rude to touch someone's tooth you just met.

The demon, however, did not seem to mind. He just looked down at the woman's feet, which were bare.

"As much as I enjoy this, why don't we retire outside to the lake, and we can finish our story there?"

The demon stood up, offering his arm to the woman, who with the agility of a small child, bounced up, beamed a smile his way, and said "Lead the way"

The odd looking pair made their way to the lake, which resided in the back of the large white house. There hanging over the water, was a large Weeping willow, its leaves and branches barely dancing above the dark waters surface. The wind made the leaves sway ever so slightly, causing them to grace the water like fingers that chastely touched skin .

Underneath that tree, was a hanging swing, and beside that a bench. The two took a seat on the bench, and the demon found his bookmark, and turned the page.

"Where were we…"

"Sesshoumaru just agreed to stay the month with Kagome, to help train her and destroy the jewel."

"Oh yes. So Sesshoumaru had his servants fetch his and Rin's things, and the new members to the household were placed in their own wing in the palace, all windows facing West, towards their home."

"Jakken, the Lords loyal retainer was ordered to follow around the young teenage girl, who after the ball caught the attention of too many boys for the Lord's liking. Meanwhile all the courts across the country were in an uproar of gossip. The Lord of the West had moved into the Eastern palace, for what purpose and for how long no one knew."

"But naturally, rumors and idle gossip have a life of their own, and stories of Kagome being pregnant, to her putting the Lord under a spell to gain control of the West plagued the lands. The ones being gossiped about, however, had no time or energy to begin to care."

"The first week of their training ended with Kagome bleeding from many cuts, her body a new canvas of black and blue artwork, and her left wrist twisted in a very uncomfortable manner. Sesshoumaru did not lie; the training was brutal, and at times he feared he was too close to almost killing the surprisingly beautiful miko."

" They both understood that this was what was necessary, and so neither party spoke about it when eating meals in the Grand hall of the palace. The servants gently served their Lady, sending death glares over at the unscathed Lord on her right."

"They were well into the second week of her training, when something very strange happened to the Lord of the West"

-----------

The dojo resounded with the usual cries of agony from the young girl, as her body was unmercifully thrown against the walls and she slide down the length of the wall to come to rest on the floor, a trail of blood marking the path she just took.

Not a second after, she was made to roll out of the way, as the demon Lord, who looked almost bored, cracked his whip breaking the wall she was just on. Reaching over her back, she took an arrow and aimed right for his heart, but he easily dodged the foreseen attack.

"You have to be faster than that miko. Your reactions are a fraction too slow. Those time periods are the most crucial to gain an advantage on your opponent."

Kagome listened to him, taking the small break provided to her to gain her wind back. But the moment passed all too soon, as he lunged forward towards her, poisonous claws ready to swipe.

Exhausted and terrified, she simply put up her hands in hopes to form a barrier around her. Suddenly, in a wave of sparks, his claws met her shimmering pink barrier and were stuck there. Afraid of purifying him, she retracted the barrier.

However this did not have the effect she hoped for, for Sesshoumaru was shot back against the far brown wall, and landed on his right side with a loud thud.

Kagome looked in horror at the silver pool on the floor, shocked at her own strength and inability to control her powers. Horrified at what she had just done, she ran over to him.

"Sesshoumaru! Sesshoumaru! Are you alright? I am sorry, I didn't mean for that to happen .." She reached over to his unmoving form, and before she could place a hand on him, he moved.

He began to push himself up with his arm…the new arm that had grown where a stump once was. She looked on in disbelief, as he sat up and saw what she was staring at. He was awed as well, to find his right arm back where it was before his half brother Inuyasha cut it off.

" How did you do this?" he asked her, still flexing and moving his arm. "I do not know, I'm sorry it just happened my powers …I lost control they were too much" she placed a hand over her mouth, ignoring the blood pouring from her swollen lip.

"Why are you upset, miko? This is a very good thing. This Sesshoumaru is not ignorant enough to offer thanks" And with that, he stood up, and walked out of the dojo into the nights darkness, obviously ending the days training.

Kagome sat on the floor, gazing around at the blood stained walls ' All of it mine' she thought ruefully. She took the Shikon jewel into her hands, eyeing the pink ball.

"In two weeks, this will be gone..." she spoke to no one but herself. She had her doubts about the plan, but her predecessor had assured her this was the right actions to take to forever destroy the jewel.

'I sure hope it's worth it. I don't think my ass will ever be the same after this' She rubbed the agitated appendage as she slowly limped back to the palace over the grounds, walking in nothing but moonlight.

---------

Fox: there it is! Chapter 2. I am already working on chapter 3. The length of this story is uncertain, but I do not intend on making a long, drawn out novel out of this. I'm looking in the range of 10-20 chapters. Reviews would be greatly appreciated, to help get the creative juices flowing. Thanks!


	4. Chapter Three

Bibouroku

Written By: Foxflame

Fox: Ciao people. Chapter 3 is here wooty. Woot. Im trying to make this chapter a little longer, so to help move on the story and finish with the certain number of chapters I wanted. For those who have never seen the movie, I understand it might seem a little confusing when it jumps from the story and to the demon and woman reading. But I promise, it will all make sense. It actually works better if you don't understand it…

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, any related characters, and the story line can be traced to "The Notebook" By Nicholas Sparks. ( hence, I am disclaiming all rights. Just making fiction fun!)

_The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed._

_**Carl Jung**_

-----------------

Chapter 3:

" She must have been very powerful, to have grown his arm back for him" Her raven tresses moved back in forth with her timing on the swing, her body rocking like a pendulum on the swing. The white clad demon looked up from the book opened on his lap, and watched the woman's wide eyes bore into his own as she swung.

"Yes she was very powerful, but at that point in her life she didn't know it." The woman stopped swinging and let her feet graze the top of the grass below her. " And that was how he thanked her? Jerk."

The demon stood up, and walked over to the woman on the swing. A small pink flower was stuck in her hair, and he reached a clawed hand towards her head. She however, jumped slightly, and said " Oh, don't worry about that I can do it myself"

He sighed his understanding, looking into those big brown eyes again…searching… but no, it was still too soon. She would not understand yet, they must get on with the story.

" He wasn't a jerk, well a complete one at that. See at this point in the summer month, Sesshoumaru was undergoing a strange alteration"

"You mean his arm growing back and all?" The woman began twisting the ropes of the swings, so that it wound up like a clock, and released herself to spin uncontrollably fast. Her laughter poured over his ears like a wave, and he basked in its warmth. When she stopped her spinning, she looked up to wait for her answer. "Well?"

He seemed to be slapped out of a stupor, and explained. " Well, not just that. See from the first moment Sesshoumaru saw Kagome he was immediately intrigued, although his pride and years of stoic training wouldn't let himself know it. If, perhaps, he was more open as she was, it would almost be love at first sight. But he was stubborn, and she forcibly ignorant"

"I thought all demons hated humans?"

"I am a demon, and I don't hate you." He simply stated. She mused on this thought for a second before asking " Well, he was a demon Lord, and from the sound of it he could barely tolerate other living beings, let alone humans"

" No, for all questioning purposes did he hate humans. He was just indifferent, like he was to everything at that point in life. Despite his hundreds of years of living, he was still blissfully unaware of things such as feelings, companionship, and most of all love."

"That's sad. No one should live that long without some form of love in his life"

"But he was a demon lord, raised from birth to be killing perfection, love would have coddled him and he would not have been the person he was" She looked down at her bare toes which played with the grass, and began a slow rhythmic swing once more. "Maybe it would have been for the better. No one should have to live without love in their life. I would think it would be a very sad existence"

At this he smiled. She was so, pure…." Well Sesshoumaru was beginning to feel the tug of such feelings; living as long as he did, it was no surprise that love would find him eventually. Although most thought him to be emotionless, he felt things just like everyone else. And this miko, caring, warm, beautiful was right before him. It was inevitable. He however, was afraid…"

Once more a sense of warmth sprang up his spine, as the woman laughed a lovely melody. "AFRAID! Ha ha, how can you be afraid of _love_. It is something people _look_ for, not run from"

" Have patience for him. The nature of any living thing is to fear what it does not know. And he did not know love, and so Sesshoumaru was afraid."

"So what did Kagome do about it? She must have been smart enough to understand what was happening, how she was feeling…"

"Well, like I said, she tried to ignore it and be professional. She got butterflies like any normal girl would, but she wrote it off as nothing more then admiration for such a powerful demon, so in control, while she wouldn't control her own miko abilities"

The demon sat down at the base of the giant tree, and reopened the notebook on his lap. "Ah yes, this is where we were. You see, although both had tried to hide it, it was inevitable for certain moments to happen"

He turned the page gingerly, and began reading from the top , as the woman sat right next to him underneath the vast branches…..

- - -------------------------------

"We will take a short break now, you have come along very well" Sesshoumaru sheathed Tolkijin in one swift movement, and waited as the miko caught her breath. She was panting and sweating, still holding her sword in the ready position. "I ...don't …know how you figure that. I'm dying over here!"

He simply rolled his eyes at her child like behavior. "Watch" he said and in an instant he unsheathed his sword and flung it at her. With one swift movement, she knocked the sword into the next wall, and dropped her sword, still panting, and amazed at what she had done. "See? Your coming along just fine Kagome"

She looked up through matted hair at the use of her name. How nice it sounded from his lips, his deep voice which cut her like a knife. She didn't know how it happened. But it did. The first night she saw him standing in the moonlight, she couldn't stop thinking about him. He wasn't at all what she expected. He spoke, held intelligent conversations. She found that he chose to speak so little because everything he said held some importance. Nothing like the rambling she does.

She watched daily as he cared for Rin, playing the protective father as the hormone driven boys of the palace eyed her like a piece of meat ( although she was almost certain Rin enjoyed it. She was a teenager after all). She saw the tenderness he used with her, and the gentle ways he handled the outdoors. He observed the trees and the flowers, things she loved to get lost in for hours, that is if she had the time. Now days she was either training or sleeping from pure exhaustion.

It confused her. ' I guess you only find these things out when living with someone' she thought. She always had this image of Lord Sesshoumaru of the House of Moon. Cruel, cold, unfeeling, boring. But when she thought about it, did she ever bother to ask about him? Him and Inuyasha had their own problems, but did that mean he was the same to everyone?

One night, not to long after they arrived, Rin confided in her that as children, Sesshoumaru adored his younger brother. "I found a room full of all his old things. My lord left everything the way it was" the young girl had told her. Why they hated each other now was another story, and she wasn't sure if she even cared. After loosing Inuyasha, and having grown up in her years, she understood to live for the present. And right now, her present condition was exhausted in a dojo with a beautiful Inu youkai before her.

The two made their way up the grassy slope that lead to the palace for lunch. At the table outside was Rin, waiting for them to eat. Kagome sat down with a loud "UGH", pulling at her tight black sports bra that she wore.

"Lunch and a show?" Sesshoumaru asked without looking up from his plate, noting how she pulled down on the tight clothing. "EEP!" she squealed and let go. ' Jokes now too?!'

" If only you would be so lucky!" she stated and began scavenging her meal. He smiled inwardly at her impudence. They ate in silence, while Rin chatted happily to Kagome who was to exhausted to even respond. Sesshoumaru listened on in a bored manner, choosing not to partake in the girls conversation. Instead he stole glances at the miko, who politely smiled to the exhausting teenage girl.

He had been lost these past weeks. He could not understand his attraction to the miko, whose child like manner and "pure soul" interested him, rather then repulsed him as he thought it would. She was kind, as he saw how she treated those below her. His father always told him " You can always tell the measure of a person, not by how they treat their equals, but their inferiors" A lesson his retainer sometimes reminded him of. 'pest'.

But he was able to feel emotions despite popular belief. And just like anyone else would be, he was infatuated. He snorted in disgust at the thought, telling himself it was all due to the fact he was shacked up here with nothing but her company. And yet, he could not lie to himself that at some nights, he went to his balcony searching for the scent of roses and rain to put him to sleep…'Pft…woman'

"Is something displeasing to my Lord?" asked Rin, who was taken aback by his sudden shaking of the head and scoff.

"No" he simply replied, and an awkward silence fell over the table.

Kagome shifted a bit in her seat, but not unnerved. She got used to his answers, and simply ignored their awkwardness. "Well I guess its time to go back to the dojo" sigh Kagome, exhaustion apparent.

"I am merely doing what is required…" he began before she cut him off "Yeah Yeah I know I know 'To get rid of the jewel and finish our agreement'" she teased in her most Sesshoumaru-ish voice. He looked at her with bemusement, but acted annoyed none the less.

The two fighters headed back over the grassy field, when Sesshoumaru saw the miko staring off at a distance place. "What is it you are looking at?"

Not looking at him, she said " Over there, see that hilltop? There is this beautiful lake I have always wanted to take a boat out on. If I could not live in the palace, I would love to have my house built right there. With blue panels and a big porch to sit on…"

"Why do you not simply get it done? You are Lady here, you have the ability"

"I don't know. I guess I am always busy" she chided, She tied her hair up in a high pony tail , stretched a little bit, and readied herself for the hours of grueling practice ahead. Sesshoumaru grew weary of these practices. Every now and then her aura would spike out of control, and he would suffer a minor injury or two. An injury is an injury….

"I think it is best that we practice mediation now, to learn to better control your powers" She looked up at him, a large smile plastered on her face. "Oh really! That's excellent! Nice relaxing meditation…"

"No one said anything about relaxation. Mediation is a form of training for the mind. Discipline is needed along with constant vigilance. A mind so easily swayed like your own will find it to be a challenge" He walked past the dojo, and instead into the forest.

"HEY! What do you mean a mind as easily swayed as mine!" screamed the miko, fists balled at her side.

"Exactly what the phrase indicates"

'Jerk' she thought, as she walked right past him into the depths of the forest. "Wouldn't it be wise for me to lead, seeing as how you do not know what we are looking for?" He was mocking her, and she knew it. Whats worse, she let it bother her. 'I hate being spoken to like I am 4! Jerk Jerk Jerk'

Sesshoumaru found two large rocks in a clearing, and he perched himself upon one, back erect. "What you will be doing here, is channeling your energy into an object, and maintaining its flow at a constant rate. Use this leaf, miko." She shuddered at the use of her old informal name as she climbed on the rock.

She held the leaf in her hands and looked at him for further instruction. "Now send some of your energy into that leaf. When your life flow can match its own, the leave will not burn and you will have learned how to judge the strength required."

She looked at the leaf, and sent a small wave of energy into it. It instantly went up in flames. "Try again" he said, handing her another one. Kagome blew a strand out of her face and tried again, to no avail.

Sesshoumaru sighed, ripped a branch of a tree and handed it to her. " We will be doing this until you can get it right"

She huffed in annoyance, but the glowing jewel around her neck seemed to scream at her to shut up and get moving.

"And then for 4 hours after" she looked at the demon, who she was sure was laughing.

- - -----------------------------

Kagome threw herself onto her bed, willing her limbs to stop yelling at her.

"Does my Lady wish me to help her undress?" asked an old cat youkai, who was preparing a hot bath for in her private bathroom. She was the only one in the palace who knew how to draw a bath just right, and Kagome lived for her time spent soaking in the hot therapeutic water.

"No thank you Akura-san." She said, and rolled over to lay on her back. Her bed was situated in the center of the room, open balconies on all 3 sides. She loved to wake up with the feel of the breeze and sun on her skin. Situated on the farthest balcony was her easel and paints- Although she never hung up her own work, Kagome was able to paint some fine pieces of work.

"I believe that taiyoukai is running you into the ground, my Lady. He should not be so hard on you"

"Hes…ooh…only doing what I asked" she said, as she dipped herself low into the hot liquid which was scented and soothing. "The sooner you two finish with whatever task you are training for, the Lord will leave, will he not?"

Kagome looked over at the demon, who was laying out her clothes for the next morning and pajamas for the evening. "Oh Akura-san there is no need I can do that…"

"It is my pleasure, my Lady"

Even after so long, she still felt uncomfortable being waited on so intently. She sighed and sank lower into the water, thinking hard before deciding to confide in her servant. "Well, see, a part of our arrangement is that, once I do what I have to, my gift for his help is to rule the Eastern Lands. So technically, this palace will be his"

She jumped when she heard a loud crash and saw that Akura had dropped a glass form her hands. "My Lady! You must not be serious. He is cruel, cold Lord…"

At that, Kagome turned on the demon "Watch what you say, Akura. Lord Sesshoumaru may seem cold, but I have known him to show tenderness and a fair head. He will make an excellent ruler"

"My Lady, your kingdom loves you…"

"This is not for me Akura. This whole deal, everything. I cant handle it all! In two weeks it will all be over. Now if you don't mind, I need to rest." Kagome instantly regretted her harsh tone with the caring old youkai, but she was exhausted, and most of all angry.

For a very long time she had tried to maintain a façade of a girl happy with what fate dealt her. But she was able to be angry, wasn't she? Didn't she earn the right to be mad that she has so much thrown upon her shoulders?

The door made a soft click, signifying the departure of her servant. Kagome just sank lower into the water, needing time to just clear her mind of the jewel, the kingdom and most of all, a certain gold eyed youkai….

- - - --------------------------

Sesshoumaru couldn't sleep. He did not know why, but he knew that thoughts of Kagome were yelling in his brain, He could not understand this attraction to her. He loved making her mad, watching as her fingers twitched and feet pound harder on the ground, and how slightly her scent changed to a warm summer night when she was _extremely_ pissed off..

All these little things he knew, and hated. He despised the fact he knew that when she gets hungry, she starts biting her nails in place of food. Or that when she laughs too hard, she starts to hiccup. He hated knowing that she was beautiful. He hated knowing she was the most interesting thing he has ever com across.

He hated not being able to have her.

Why couldn't he have her? He didn't know…he just knew he couldn't. And in two weeks, she would be out of his life forever. Maybe that is what he needs. To get away from her and her intoxicating scent of roses in the rain…

And as he thought all this, he unconsciously drifted off over to his balcony, where he normally sat at night to sniff the air and get that heavenly odor around him. His room was positioned in such a way, that off to the right, one floor down, he could catch the corner of a part of her room. Not that he spied, he just was looking one day and happened to see her…

What was this? His skilled ears picked up the sound of sobbing, coming from her room…

And sure enough there she came, dressed in a think white gown, wet hair hanging off her head in loose curls. And she was crying. Wiping at her eyes and muttering incoherent words. Sesshoumaru had to suppress the urge to run over and take her in his arms. She ran out to her far left balcony, the one closest to him.

She started saying things to herself like "Suck it up.." "They wont miss you" and something about "Stupid silver hair…"

He could smell her anguish, her anger, and her exhaustion. All it did was make him want her , all of her, even more. Though he would never _truly_ tell himself so…

And then for a quick moment, she stopped crying. She stared directly into Sesshoumaru's gold eyes, or what he could perceive she was looking at. It was impossible for her to see him at that angle, but it seemed like she was peering right into his soul with those big brown eyes.

She wiped her face one last time, and went back into her room. He took that moment as a sign to retire, when something else flowed into his window. It was not crying, or yelling, or something in the forest. It was music…

Sweet sad melodies that were strung together to make the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. Each note sent a chill into his spine, and he found himself closing his eyes to better hear the sweet sound…

He walked back onto the terrace, and there he saw her, at her piano, silent tears streaming down her face, her fingers moving slowly over the keys as though she was pounding all her pain into the ivory keys.

The song swept Sesshoumaru off into a different world, and he did not know how to handle it.

And then, it stopped.

The music ended. Sesshoumaru felt like the wind had stop flowing, the air stopped moving into his lungs. The ending of that song caused him to come back to reality, a place he obviously did not want to be.

Kagome looked up, one more time through her window.

There was no way she was not looking directly into Sesshoumaru's wide golden eyes.

- - - ------------------

Fox: End of chapter folks! I am really excited for my next few chapters, I have everything planned out. I don't know why I got all this inspiration all of a sudden to write this story. Gotta flow with it! I hope your enjoying it so far, and I am trying to make them fall in love slowly, but at a sped up pace. I hate stories where people make Sesshoumaru open up in a days time and they fall madly in love. I want to make it real, but for the purposes of stick close to the "Notebook", I have to move their love along. Anyway, they had love at first sight in the book, so I can sorta play off that.

Review please! Mucho grassy- asses.


End file.
